Pulpit To Pew

The song “Is That All There Is?”, made famous by Peggy Lee, is sung from the disenchanted point of view of a woman underwhelmed by unique experiences of life and even love. Charles Taylor writes about this disenchanted world of secularism and a societal disembodiment of spirituality in his book “A Secular Age“. Are these prevalent feeling in our noisy and “more is better” world? Is there a yearning for more epidemic – especially with Millennials? If so, how do we offset this ennui for ourselves and others?

What You Will Hear:
On our 15th episode, Reverend Beverly Gibson shares her thoughts and insights on the readings of Elijah and Jesus’s miracle of resurrecting a child from the dead. These readings are strong lessons of God’s power to “give life back” to us after loss and misdirection-in unexpected, sometimes sudden and shocking ways. We may go through a time in which all joy and the possibility of hope and life seem impossibly beyond our reach. And then something unexpected, surprising happens, and we are “given life back.” We can participate in this happening for others, too, if we genuinely have and act on the compassion that Jesus and Elijah shows.

Today’s Pulpit To Pew show, lesson and daily take-away is more questions of reflection than answers: Do I (we) bring life to other’s? Like Anne Litt’s music curation lists for Spotify and KCRW, do I (we) routinely contribute uplifting and surprising things that others normally would not have found? Or, should we do what Peggy Lee suggests: stop worrying about life and “break out the booze and have a ball – if that’s all there is”?

Readings:
1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24)
Galatians 1:11-24
Luke 7:11-17

Pulpit To Pew is a discussion between priest (Rev. Beverly Gibson) and parishioner (Johnny Gwin) on the weekly lessons and readings. Please subscribe to the podcast on Apple iTunes, Overcast App, Soundcloud.com and of course pulpittopew.com.

What do you think about Pulpit To Pew?We would love to hear what you think, or maybe what you would like us to talk about on an upcoming podcast. Email producer Stacy Wellborn at stacywellborn@gmail.com and join in the conversation.

Like Pulpit To Pew Podcast?
Here’s how you can help the show:
1. Like our Facebook Page
2. Subscribe to Pulpit To Pew on Apple iTunes (or Overcast App)
3. Rate and review the show on Apple iTunes
This one helps us a ton – seriously!

Pulpit To Pew took the Memorial Day Weekend off, but Johnny has been saving this wonderful “unused” conversation – that did not make one of the previously published podcasts – to use when they needed it. We hope you enjoy this candid and personal conversation between priest (Reverend Beverly Gibson) and the curious parishioner (Johnny Gwin).

What you will hear:
> What are we really agreeing to with the Episcopal Baptismal Covenant?
> What is the Episcopal (and Rev. Gibson’s personal) view of politicking from the pulpit?
> Is a parish priest a therapist?
> What is finding a “Home” in a church and a parish?

What do you think about Pulpit To Pew?We would love to hear what you think, or maybe what you would like us to talk about on an upcoming podcast. Email producer Stacy Wellborn at stacywellborn@gmail.com and join in the conversation.

Like Pulpit To Pew Podcast?
Here’s how you can help the show:
1. Like our Facebook Page
2. Subscribe to Pulpit To Pew on Apple iTunes (or Overcast App)
3. Rate and review the show on Apple iTunes
This one helps us a ton – seriously!

Hide and seek with God is a natural process of creation and mutuality. – Reverend Beverly Gibson ~ Christ Church Cathedral

Hide and seek is familiar to all of us, a fond memory developed from peek-a-boo. While a childhood game, it also is a process through which we come to know God. In this week’s episode, Dean Gibson and Johnny discuss how we metaphorically play hide and seek with God, who also plays hide and seek with us. God’s plan and promise is creative; it is an ever-changing cycle of ebb and flow. Hiding doesn’t have to be seen as a negative and it’s a cyclic process that provides an opportunity to plan, grow and reinvent, as individuals and communities. Lastly, the concept of patiently waiting is discussed as the key to the process of gestation and the emergence of ideas and identity.

Readings:

Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
Romans 5:1-5
John 16:12-15

In this episode:

> David Whyte, poet, and consultant, how hiding can be a positive and create a sense of self-protection
> Beverly describes a positive example of “hiding” with a Star Wars reference, Padawan period of training
> Trinity – three in one; Holy Spirit as advocate
> Johnny’s idea of “Trinity for Dummies.”
> Cyclic process of renewal; Opportunities to reinvent
> Why Johnny loves Jujitsu and what he learned from flailing on the floor
> Rilke – Letters to a Poet – everything is gestation; patience is everything.
> In teaching and learning, participation is key.
> Hide and seek should be playful, joyful. Play is the best way to learn.
> Relationship with God is joyful, be patient. Allow it to gestate, grow and then emerge.

Thanks for listening to Pulpit To Pew. Please subscribe to, rate and review Pulpit To Pew on iTunes.

No one can mess up the space that God inhabits.– Reverend Dean Beverly Gibson

Personal goals, corporate vision, marketing, sales and process systems – where does God’s plan fit into the world of turn-key, proven and trademarked models? Does God want us to make our own plans? What if our plan is in contrast to God’s Plan (Genesis 11:1-9)? Starting with the Tower of Babel, to the story of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-21), to Philip asking Jesus to “show us the Father”(John 14:8-17,25-27) – this week’s Pulpit to Pew discusses the lessons and sermon from Pentecost Sunday at Christ Church Cathedral in Mobile, Alabama.

Reverend Dean Gibson discusses:
> how man’s plans cannot disrupt God’s plans.
> discovering and aligning our goals and visions with one’s that resembles the “Jesus Movement.”
> being filled and transformed weekly by the Holy Spirit to make life and share the Good News with the world when we leave our Church service.
> balancing a human or societal need plan and discovering “God’s Plan.”
> the “Godness” in all things especially in books, music, and art.
> leadership vision and how to direct what Christ Church Cathedral can be.
> generous listening, awareness and waiting patiently with “empty hands.” (Annie Dillard)

Warning: Johnny brings up more ridiculous Star Trek religious analogies concerning Reverend Gibson’s weekly lessons and sound insights. Please bare with his sci-fi obsession – becoming an enlightened and more spiritual being is a process.

Why do we modern Christians not have “visions” anymore? Would we even act on the message of the “vision” like Peter’s actions in this weeks Lesson (Act 16:9-15)? Have we adults lost the ability to see the visual and sometimes not “rational” world of our spirituality? In this week’s Pulpit To Pew, Reverend Gibson suggests that we should see the world and church services through the eyes and open mind of a child. We should make room for the Holy Spirit by offering up drawing, art, music even gardening as a way of prayerful action to God. Using Lynda Berry’s “The Unthinkable Mind” approach, being mindful of God’s presence in scripture, church services, and the details of our life could create an openness and new view of the joyous wonders of God and his works. Johnny shares his love and benefits of sketchnoting in the pews plus his St. Clare of Assisi Patron Saint of Television plastic glow in the dark miniature novelty statue.

Readings:Acts 16:9-15Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5John 14:23-29

On This Episode:
> What is Rogation Sunday?
> Episcopal prayers for commerce, industry and harvests
> The Tree of Life
> Who was Lydia, the Macedonian cloth merchant
> Modern day visions = crazy
> Episcopal mysticism – pursuit of contact with a spiritual truth not in the rational perception
> Experiencing Scripture and Mass with the open mind of a child
> Should we have adult coloring books in the pews?
> Opening yourself o hearing and experiencing a whole body service
> Making space for a the “advocate” – the Holy Spirit
> The Unthinkable Mind and world of Lynda Berry
> The process of making visions make sense of “visions” to the modern church congregation
> The Master and His Emissary (the right and left brain)
> Scientific proof of God as seen by The Story of God and Morgan Friedman
> Icons and their place in religious tradition, language, and worship
> The tug of war between faith & proof
> The spiritual crisis of mid-life
> How church can and needs to be fun
> The importance of stimulating and engaging teens in Church,Services, and Scripture
> Why Reverend Gibson uses Twitter to know more about Beyonce and her Lemonade song?
> The double aged sword & energy working with young people

Pulpit To Pew is a discussion between priest (Rev.Beverly Gibson) and parishioner (Johnny Gwin) on the weekly lessonsand readings.

Please subscribe to Pulpit To Pew on Apple iTunes, Overcast App, and Soundcloud.com.

In this episode, Rev. Gibson shares her favorite podcasts, her philosophy of sermon style and delivery, and how to prepare for a sermon (even when you don’t feel so good). Johnny gets excited because he manages to get Shawn Mullins, Eric Clapton, and J.J. Cale into this week’s podcast.

Johnny was a confirmation sponsor for new church member Richie Scherer, and Reverend Dean Beverly Gibson was actually sitting in the pews this week for her daughter’s confirmation. Bishop Russell Kendrick gave a rousing sermon and beautiful service at Christ Church Cathedral’s 11th Annual Celebration. Due to all the festivities, Rev. Gibson suggested that we put together a Pulpit To Pew episode of some of the bonus material she and Johnny have cut from other shows.

What you will hear:
> Other podcasts on Reverend Gibson & Johnny’s playlist.
> Why Reverend Gibson is hesitant to listen to other religious or preaching podcasts.
> Finding and growing a sermon style for a specific church audience and community.
> The importance in earning trust with an audience.
> How tough is it to deliver a sermon consistently and when you don’t feel well?
> Psyching up or praying up to prepare for a sermon & Mass.
> A peek behind the curtain – pre-mass prep, prayers, and reminders for everyone on the alter. Especially the acolytes.
> Body language and facial expression feedback from the pews.
> Delivery and style sermon differences and diversity.
> The benefit of a microphone when preaching.
> Memorizing vs. outlines when delivering sermons.

Please subscribe to Pulpit To Pew on Apple iTunes or Overcast App. The best way to support our show is to share it with your friends and post an review and rating in Apple iTunes store. Thanks so much for listening.

Like Nipper the dog in the vintage RCA logo, do we know our master’s voice or are we even trying to be able to hear it? In such a busy and noisy world, how do we hear the call of our Good Shepard? Reverend Dean Beverly Gibson discusses generous listening (Rachel Remen), being curious, and seeking to want to know answers. Is life an endless struggle to regain the pure knowledge and purity that ancient stories have said we possessed and lost at birth with an “angel kiss?” Reverend Gibson and Johnny discuss the benefits of learning to listen actively and listen in a loving silence that hopefully can be a powerful way to connect with our true selves, spirituality and each other.

”By listening to the shepherd’s voice. His voice doesn’t demand things of us or tell us what to do. His voice tells us that he loves us; he calls us each by name and tells us that we belong to him. Eternal life is found in that love.” – Reverend Dean Beverly Gibson

Pulpit To Pew is now available on Apple iTunes Podcast App and Overcast App. Listening is a great way to have a richer connection with others, and we thank you for making a connection with us. Please subscribe to our show, leave a review and share with some friends.

Reverend Beverly Gibson is attending a Dean’s conference away from Christ Church Cathedral and Johnny spent a week prepping for Creative South design conference and the SouthSounds Music Fest Podcast Live event – Pulpit To Pew Podcast is taking this Sunday off. We promise to return next Sunday! Johnny did manage to get in a Sabbadoodle this week. As always thanks for listening and the support.

We may be out this week, but you can always check out any of our episodes.

Confession time, Johnny used this ridiculous (but relevant) title to help with search engine optimization (SEO) for this week’s podcast (meaning: using a “high trending” word in the title to make the show easier to find on Google Search). Reverend Dean Beverly Gibson started off this week’s sermon with a confession of her own. During her week off she binged watch Netflix’s women’s prison dramedy hit show, Orange Is The New Black. Not quite endorsing the show from the pulpit, Reverend Gibson mentions that this show’s subject matter of imprisonment actually aligned with the lessons and Gospel reading this Sunday. The Disciples were imprisoned and freed in Act 5:27-32 and they were “laying low” hiding from the authorities in John 20:19-31. Reverend Gibson discusses with co-host Johnny the “self-made” prisons that Jesus can help free us from, both spiritually and personally. How do we choose to breach our own prisons? Why we should preach about our “escape” from our prisons? Why we should pray to be thankful for our “freedom”. Plus, they discuss how faith and trust in Jesus (and others) will help him hand us a pardon from our “self-made” confinements and sins.

Pulpit to Pew is a conversation between priest and parishioner, to understand how the message translates and to explore further the weekly Sunday sermon and lessons within the Episcopal tradition and daily life.

C&E Christians is a “wink and a nod” term that consistent church-goers use to describe people who only come to mass during Christmas and Easter. The church is more crowded, a new face might be in your normal seat and pew, and there are fewer places to park. Instead of seeing this cyclical phenomenon as a nuisance – what if we use this opportunity to welcome someone to our close community? What if your kind words make that person decide to come to church more than twice a year? Reverend Dean Gibson and Johnny Gwin admit that in their lives they were “C&Es” plus they discuss ways “C&E Christians” can get the most out of their time in the Church Mass and how the “regular” Church members can heighten their Easter Sunday experience. The “Good News” is here and maybe it’s all of our jobs to welcome others to it.

What you will hear:

> A “C&E Christian” is a term for a person that comes to church only for Christmas and Easter services
> The recipe for a “good” Easter sermon
> Delivering a powerful sermon focused on well-worn subject matter
> Staying fresh and avoiding pitfalls when writing sermons
> Enjoying the full senses of the “Big Show” of the Easter Mass experience
> The always positive Good News message of an Easter sermon
> Johnny and Dean Gibson both admit to being a “C&E Christian”
> The importance of a Church Home
> The energy and gift of a diverse Church community
> How the “regular” Church-goer can heighten their Easter Sunday experience
> Historic view of pew and seat rental
> The pride of Christ Church Cathedral – the Floating Flower Cross
> The Easter event nobody will ever forget
> The Indigo Girls version of the Jesus Christ Superstar – an Easter Tradition
> The intersection of the cosmic cycle of our personal and spiritual life
> Fasting as a discipline, not a penance
> One of the “gifts” of Mobile Mardi Gras
> Happy Easter from Reverend Dean Gibson, Johnny Gwin and Pulpit To Pew

Pulpit to Pew is a conversation between priest and parishioner, to understand how the message translates and to explore further the weekly Sunday sermon and lessons within the Episcopal tradition and daily life.

Pulpit to Pew, a podcast that features a conversation between priest and parishioner, to understand how the message translates and to further explore the weekly lessons within the Episcopal tradition and daily life.

The Very Reverend Beverly Findley Gibson, Ph.D. is the 23rd rector and 2nd Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Mobile, where she has served since her ordination in 2005. Prior to entering the Episcopal priesthood, Dean Gibson was a member of the faculty Troy University for 18 years. She is a graduate of Converse College, the…

A recovering spoiled only child, an ex-bass player in El Cantador (his favorite band ever), wanna-be pro skateboarder & creative Pilgrim, Johnny fell in love with podcasting and hosts two other shows with Deep Fried Studios (Crusader of Cool & Fan of Podcast). A new-comer to the Episcopal Church, even though he still maintains a…